For most applications, both methods will provide a strong weld that will hold what it needs to. The truth of it is that they are ultimately pretty similar. Welders will debate whether flux core welding or MIG welding provides a stronger weld until the end of time. Although, there is also a form of flux core welding that uses something called double shielded flux core wire, which does require a tank of gas. This means that it does not require a separate tank of gas to weld, which often makes this a more popular method of welding. When flux core wire is being used, the flux in the center heats up and releases gas, which provides the protection from the outside air. Tri-mix is mostly used for stainless steel welding.Īs for flux core, this is where the core of the wire mentioned above is important. There are a few different gases that may be used for MIG welding, which would be argon, argon and carbon dioxide mix, carbon dioxide, or tri-mix, which contains all three of the above gases. This means that there will be a tank of shielding gas hooked up to the MIG welder that will dispense the gas to protect the weld. To do this with MIG welding, a shielding gas is used. When a weld is being done, the hot metal cannot contact normal air, as it can cause a bad weld. There is a significance behind the flux, which is also where a large difference arises between these two methods. MIG welding uses a solid wire, whereas flux core welding wire is tubular and inside the tube is flux, hence the name. The Wire Involved in Flux Core Welding and MIG Weldingįirst and foremost, both of these methods use a spool of wire to provide the filler metal to the weld, but the primary difference is in the type of wire. Let’s take a look at the various factors that can help you decide, starting with a comparison of these two methods.

If a person is new to welding, it can be difficult to know which method they should begin learning or which would be more appropriate for them. Realistically, both of these are valid methods and they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Two of the most commonly utilized types of welding are MIG and Flux Core.

There are a few different types of welding methods out there and many people may debate over which is the best.

Wire feed flux welder